The unmentionable.

Due mainly to the fact that I am a big time avoider of confrontation, and out of respect to Eric's feelings as blog proprietor and constitutent, I've been avoiding the HRC question up till now. But this Tim Grieve post in today's Salon War Room causes me to break my silence.

From the "Tell Us Again Why This Isn't a Problem" Department, a new national Mason-Dixon Poll finds 52 percent of Americans saying they wouldn't even consider voting for Hillary Clinton for president.

"Hillary's carrying a lot of baggage," explains Mason-Dixon's Larry Harris. "She's the only one that has a majority who say they can't vote for her."

I don't fall into that category; I fall into the I'll-vote-for-her-if-she's-the-nominee-but-until-then-I'm-busting-my-ass-to-defeat-her category. Yes, I'm one of those educated women who are far from smitten with Hillary Clinton. Far be it from me to explain how anyone else feels on the subject, but I'd like to try to explain myself.

Don't talk to me about jealousy or "Stockholm Syndrome" - they are non-starters. I find her artificial, and while that may be more an acting problem than anything else, it makes me uninclined to believe that she believes what she is saying. Her tendency to raise the volume rather than the emotional intensity leaves me wondering what she actually feels strongly about.

There are a number of women who would get my vote for president (Dianne Feinstein being one of them), but Hillary's willingness to cite the achievements of her husband's administration as incentive to vote for her has the opposite effect with me. It emphasizes to me that she lacks the credentials on her own to merit the office, and also brings back my Clinton fatigue. No, I'm not in love with Bill either, and have no desire to see him within a hundred miles of the White House ever again. His cozying up to the Bush family over the past few years show that his particular brand of triangulation lives on, and not in a good way.

Not to mention: Bush - Clinton - Clinton - Bush - Bush - Clinton??? I think not. The White House needs some sunshine and a good airing out.